History Of Libraries (Ancient Era) Flashcards
(18 cards)
“History is who we are and why we are the way we are.” Who made this statement and in which book?
David McCullough in his book “The same spirit”.
The history of libraries is distributed into three eras which are;
- The ancient era
- The medieval era
- The modern era
What did the Sumerians use as a means of recording their day-to-day activities and religious practices?
Cuneiform signs on clay tablets
Who claimed the clay tablets from the Sumerians in ancient times?
The Assyrians and the Babylonians in their conquest of the Sumerians.
What was the role of King Assurbanipal of Assyria in the history of libraries?
During his reign, he demonstrated a profound appreciation of knowledge by taking inventory of the vast clay tablets collection made by the Sumerians’.
How many clay tablets were discovered in history?
Over 30,000 tablets.
What were the informations contained in the 30,000 clay tablets discovered?
- Historical works
- Poetry
- Religious text
- Astronomical observations
What led to the destruction of the earliest library of clay tablets?
The collection of clay tablets was completely destroyed when the Persian army conquered Assyria.
What did the Egyptians is a primary medium for recording information?
Papyrus.
What is Papyrus?
Papyrus was a material derived from plants that grew along the Nile River in Egypt.
What subjects was the Papyrus used to document?
- Agriculture
- Medicine
- Poetry
- Government
Most of these papyrus was safeguarded in safeguarded in temples under the care of who?
Priests
What led to the development of palace libraries?
When the kings of Egypt who were part of the Greek empire under the influence of Alexander the Great gathered papyrus collections within their palaces.
Who constructed an extraordinary library in Alexandria which at its peak, housed an astonishing number of over 700,000 papyrus rows which became a monumental institution in the ancient world?
King Ptolemy I (the first) of Egypt
What is Parchment?
It’s a writing material made of the skin of goats or sheep.
What led to the transition from papyrus to parchment?
When Egypt restricted the export of papyrus to Pergamum, a city in Asia Minor under the Greek empire.
What led to the establishment of the Pergamum library?
When Egypt restricted the export of papyrus to Pergamum, a city in Asia Minor under the Greek empire.
The ancient library can be summarized as?
- The Sumerian library (clay tablets)
- The Egyptian library (papyrus)
- The Pergamum library (parchments)
